Malva sylvestris
High mallow, High Mallow
(c) Alvesgaspar, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Malva sylvestris (High mallow) is a non-native California herb in the Malvaceae family, recognized by large bright purple/pink flowers.
High mallow is a naturalized perennial herb found in northwestern California, central western California, and southern coastal California in disturbed places at elevations generally below 300 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces bright purple or pink flowers with dark veins, typically 15 to 30 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 50 to 300 centimeters tall and covered in sparse simple and star-shaped hairs, it develops distinctive foliage. Its rounded to kidney-shaped leaves are 5 to 10 centimeters wide, often with shallow lobes and scalloped edges. The fruit develops in segments with wrinkled sides and sharp outer edges.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 8 species; distinguished by large bright purple/pink flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed places
Elevation: generally < 300 m
Outside California: native to Europe, Mediterranean, Asia Minor, widely cultivated as ornamental
Bloom period
Malva sylvestris blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Pelargonium: Malva has symmetrical bowl-shaped flowers; Pelargonium has irregular flowers with two upper petals distinct from three lower.; vs Sidalcea: Malva has 3 bracts forming collar below flower; Sidalcea has no bract ring (or just 1-3 tiny bracts).; vs Hibiscus: Malva has small flowers with 3 bracts; Hibiscus has large showy flowers with many fused bracts.; vs Alcea: Malva has smaller flowers (<6 cm) with 3 bracts; Alcea has huge flowers (>6 cm) with 5-11 bracts.; vs Malvella: Malva is upright and green; Malvella is prostrate forming gray-fuzzy ground mats.
Frequently asked questions
Is Malva sylvestris native to California?
No. Malva sylvestris is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Malva sylvestris bloom?
Malva sylvestris blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Malva sylvestris belong to?
Malva sylvestris is in the Malvaceae family, genus Malva.
What habitat does Malva sylvestris grow in?
Malva sylvestris grows in Uncommon. Disturbed places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Malva verticillata var. crispa — Crisped mallow
- Malva arborea — Tree mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora — Island mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora subsp. assurgentiflora — Northern island mallow
- Malva assurgentiflora subsp. glabra — Southern island mallow
- Malva multiflora — Cretan mallow
- Malvaceae sp. — Mallow family
- Malvella leprosa — Alkali-mallow
- Malvella sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.